What a bittersweet way to start the week. While we still have months and months to wait for the return of Spartacus for its third season, the series' fourth installment now has a title! And it's a good one. Following last season's Spartacus: Vengeance, is Season 3, officially titled (drumroll please): Spartacus: War of the Damned. Pretty ominous sounding! The title is the sweet news. The bitter part is that War of the Damned will be the conclusion of the saga. Say it aint so!
Starz made the official announcement today, announcing the title and stating that the 10-episode season, which will premiere January 2013, will be the conclusion of the saga.
“The fans have been tremendously supportive of our show,” says creator and executive producer, Steven S. DeKnight. “We did not come to this decision lightly. It was an extremely difficult and emotional decision for my partners and I. Yet, in the end, the story was best served by rolling all of the remaining action and drama of Spartacus' journey into one stunningly epic season that will be extremely satisfying for everyone who's been along for the ride."
While it's sad news to learn that we only have one more season left of Spartacus, I'm going to try to be optimistic about this, as it sounds like the decision came from DeKnight and the other people involved in the show. At least, that's how it's being announced. Whether or not that's actually or fully the case, the writers know it's the last season and at the very least, will be able to shape War of the Damned as a conclusion to the series, so we'll have some proper closure. Still, it's going to be very sad to see the show go as it's become one of my favorite dramas on television.
Here's the information Starz released on Spartacus: War of the Damned:
“Spartacus: War of the Damned,” currently in production in New Zealand, takes place following the defeat of Roman commander Gaius Claudius Glaber. Spartacus and his men have amassed major victories against the Romans after the Battle of Vesuvius. These victories have not only forged the legend of Spartacus, but have greatly increased the ranks of the rebellion slaves to more than 30,000. Rome is indeed beginning to tremble at the threat Spartacus now represents.
It sounds like it's all building up to something big, and with the series' conclusion in mind, we might be able to expect something truly glorious from Spartacus come January.
